The present invention relates to spectrum analysis, and more particularly to an FFT accelerated display mode for a spectrum analyzer.
When a user wishes to see very fine spectrum resolution over a wide span on a spectrum analyzer display, it takes a long time to acquire and process the data. The frequency resolution of an FFT process is proportional to (Sample rate)/(Number of samples). In order to accomplish narrow frequency resolution in a spectrum measurement, the sample rate has to be slow, or the number of samples has to be large, or some combination of both. The result is long acquisition times for narrow frequency resolution and proportionately short acquisition times for wide frequency resolution.
When the narrow frequency resolution is desired on a spectrum analyzer, the screen is blank for a long time while the analyzer acquires and processes the data. For example, a 1024-point FFT having a sample rate of 160 samples/sec has a blank screen for 6.4 seconds (1024/160) until the first frame is acquired. Although there may be a note displayed saying “acquiring” or “busy”, the long wait time is annoying and may give the user the feeling that nothing is happening, especially when acquisition times are more than a few seconds.
What is desired is an FFT accelerated display mode that provides a user with a display as the data is being acquired and processed.